Amalgamator



G. W. CARTER. GOLD AMALGAMATOR.

Patented Feb. 7-, 1860.

772' Z names.

m: mums Prune co PN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. CARTER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AMALGAMATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,035, dated February '7, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. CARTER, of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Methods of Dry Amalgamation of Gold in the Ore with Mercury by Means of Machinery; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings that accompany and form a part of this specification, is a description thereof so full and exact as to enable those skilled in the art to practice my invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in tle different figures of the drawings, where- 0 Figure 1 is an elevation, Fig. 2, a vertical sectional elevation, Fig. 3 a plan and Fig. 4

a horizontal cross section and partial planof an amalgamating machine embodying and illustrating my invention.

(a) represents a reservoir, designed to be filled or nearly filled with mercury. A cross bar (0) fixed to the top of (w) supports the bearing (d) within which the tubular shaft (6) of the centrifugal wheel (a) revolves. At the upper end of (e), which extends beyond the bearing ((1) the pulley (f) or other suitable device is fixed for rotating the wheel (a) by means of its shaft (6) which at its lower end rotates upon and is steadied by a step or bearing centrally fixed in the base of the reservoir which is cup shaped for the purpose of collecting the heavy product of the amalgamation and is provided with a tap (m) for the discharge thereof.

(8) is a yoke to which is fixed the tunnel (7L) and conducting tube which passes through the hollow shaft (6) and terminates near the center of the wheel (a). The tube (j) surrounds the shaft (0) and is kept in position by fitting around (d) the lower end of is provided with a shield plate (72) extending over the top surface of the wheel (a) and to (a) or (j) the radial wings (Z) are secured. The auriferous ore is supplied in a finely divided state to the centrifugal wheel through and by means of the tunnel (it) and tube (71). The centrifugal force consequent upon rapid rotation of (a) disperses the ore in a finely subdivided state into and near the'bottom of the mercury.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 it may be seen that the wheel (a) is provided with lips (0) projecting from the circumference near its discharge passages. These lips are intended to displace the mercury by their rotation so that the ore may be thrown farther or spread by centrifugal force over greater area than,

would be the case if it was projected into or against a solid or unbroken column of mercury. After the ore is projected into the mercury it floats upward consequent upon the difference of the specific gravity of the two substances. Each particle of the ore, being surrounded by, and subjected to the hydrostatic pressure of, the mercury, the gold therein thoroughly amalgamates with the mercury and the amalgam thus formed subsides into the cup shaped base of the reservon'.

The object of the tube (j), plate (70) and wings (Z, l) is to prevent agitation or motion of the mercury consequent upon the rotation of the wheel (a) and shaft (6) which would flour or mechanically divide the mercury into small globules which waste away with the overflow of the quartz. The deposit of the amalgam is also facilitated by a quiet state of the mercury.

Other modes of dry amalgamation with which I am acquainted may be generally described as methods of kneading and mixing and as compared with my invention are wasteful both of mercury and gold. Wet amalgamation is more wasteful than dry because each particle of gold is surrounded by a thin film of water which is retained between the particle and the mercury by capillary attraction and prevents amalgamation which requires contact between the gold and the mercury.

The nature of my invention consists in introducing and dispersing finely divided auriferous ore in a dry state by means of machinery into or near the bottom of a column of mercury so that by the entire separation of the particles of the ore from each other, the hydrostatic pressure upon them, and their complete contact with the mercury, amalgamation is more perfectly effected than by the ordinary methods.

The nature of my invention further consists in certain devices whereby flouring of the mercury consequent upon the agitation produced by the machinery is prevented in order to avoid waste of the mercury and to facilitate the deposit of the amalgam.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The amalgamation of gold with mer- 0) and Wings (Z) Whether the same are used separately or in combination.

GEORGE W. CARTER.

Witnesses Tnos. A. PIOKERING, CHAS. W. IMEZ. 

